After more than 45,000 hours in the left seat of the AOPA Foundation, the Air Safety Institute (ASI), and its predecessor—the AOPA Air Safety Foundation (ASF)—it’s time to move to the jump seat and let a new crew pick up the flight.

An Air Force pilot offered the opportunity to fly a risky show with the Italian Frecce Tricolori air demonstration team had a choice to make: Fly with them in an airshow or go out with an Air Force nurse he had just met. Something inside told him to go with the nurse. During the airshow, the demonstration team suffered a midair collision.

TBM Owners and Pilots Association chairman Larry Glazer and his wife Jane were on board an airplane that crashed off the coast of Jamaica after the pilot became unresponsive Sept. 5, the couple’s family confirmed to NBC News. The two are presumed dead.

According to the most recent Joseph T. Nall Report, in 2010 there were 43 accidents involving weather, and 28 of them were fatal. In fact, weather accidents are the most consistently fatal types of accidents.

Many pilots are surprised to learn that there is no requirement to call the FAA following an accident or incident. The relevant reporting rules specify what needs to be reported to the NTSB, not the FAA.

Media and political reality today are designed to scare. Be afraid--be very afraid that something terrible will happen to you or someone you know. The motive is usually to sell something or to advance a position.

When the National Transportation Safety Board invited industry groups and government agencies to discuss areas the NTSB should better document in general aviation accident investigations, AOPA and the AOPA Foundation’s Air Safety Institute responded with suggestions based on years of research and experience producing safety-focused training materials for pilots. After the April 3 NTSB “listening session,” AOPA President Craig Fuller called on NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P.

Mountain Flying Resources High-Altitude Mountain Flying Accident Report Alaska Mountain Passes Colorado Mountain Passes Suggested Western Mountain Routes Northern, West to East Midway, West to East Southern, West to East Northern, East to West Midway, East to West Southern, East to West High-Altitude Mountain Flying High-altitude mountain flying has always been one of the more dangerous activities GA aircraft undertake each year. On average, 17 people die annually in GA accidents in the mountains of Colorado alone.

The National Transportation Safety Board hopes a new set of safety alerts and videos will leverage limited resources to stem the persistent toll of common mistakes that lead to general aviation accidents.

If you or your flying club members think you’re immune to being a victim of VFR into IMC because you have an instrument rating, think again. In 2010, there were 29 VFR into IMC accidents involving general aviation aircraft, and 21 of those – or 72 percent – were fatal.